Teen Titans: Gotham City
by KKM
Summary: AU; Full summary inside! Slade is in Gotham trying to find the portal to Trigon. After kidnapping Batman, it's up to Robin and his friends to save the day - and maybe even find some love on the way.
1. Chapter 1

**Teen Titans : Gotham City**

**By: KKM**

_**Summary:**_

AU; This story takes place in Gotham City in a time were Robin is still working alongside Batman. After a new criminal Slade shows up in the city, the caped crusaders find out that an extremely dangerous entity called Raven houses the portal to bring Trigon among the land of the mortals. But after the JLA assigns them the task of search and destroy, what happens when Batman is taken hostage and Robin is left with a small band of friends to complete his mission? And what happens when growing friendship and possible love gets in the way?

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><p><em><strong>Part One: Two Birds of a Feather<strong>_

**Chapter 1:**

Richard Grayson had never been much of a morning person and unfortunately coffee didn't help him much - not that he'd drink it anyway. His mornings mostly consisted of slamming a heavy hand on the snooze button several times before finally getting up to take a shower, get dressed, and style his hair. Then he would take whatever breakfast that Alfred had waiting for him thankfully, grabbing it to go as he'd hop onto his motorcycle and jet off to school where he'd almost always turn up at least a half an hour late.

Today, of course, was no exception.

"Late again, Dick?" His first block teacher, Mrs. Fryer, tutted as she wrote his name down on small yellow piece of paper she had waiting for him. She gave him a pointed look as she handed it to him and gestured for him to take a seat. "I don't care how much Mr. Wayne donates to the school board, you're not going to be getting special attention from _me_. Perhaps this will teach you to be _on time_ for once," she said with a snort before readjusting her horn-rimmed glasses and turning around to recommence the lecture notes she'd been previously droning on about before his entrance had interrupted her.

With a sigh, he carelessly stuffed the freshly-made detention slip into his front pocket and ignored the stares he got as he made his way to an empty seat. Being the richest man in town's ward had made him immune to their constant stares over the years, but that didn't mean it was any less annoying. He stared up at the board blankly as he thought about how he'd even came to be in Bruce Wayne's life - or more how he came to be apart of Bruce's. One moment he'd been watching his loving parents, "The Flying Graysons," performing their acrobatics flawlessly and the next his life had been turned upside down as he watched them fall to their deaths at the hands of the mafia. It was then that Batman had saved him from the bad guys. But for his parents, it had been too late.

After that, Bruce had taken him in as his ward. At first, it seemed like the billionaire was always gone either at meetings or at night when he'd become his alter identity. Alfred, Bruce's live-in butler, was the real one who seemed to take care of him and mentor him. Through that, Dick had always respected and loved the man as somewhat of a grandfather figure or maybe even an older uncle to him. But Dick had been hungry for retribution; he wanted to help Batman protect the good to prevent more fatalities of loving people like his parents. He hadn't cared that Bruce said he hadn't wanted a partner. Dick knew that when he got the chance, he'd prove himself to the Dark Knight.

Finally, one night he'd gotten his wish - Batman was in trouble. Alfred had come to him in the night, knowing that even though he was young, he could help. That was all he needed to bring his old Graysons costume out of retirement (though Alfred had surprised him with a new and improved version that came with weapons and a mask). Then he'd rushed to his benefactor's aid and not only saved him but also showed his great agility, flexibility, and knowledge in martial arts as he'd fought along side him. When asked what he should be called as Batman's partner, he'd opted to be known as Robin; the nickname his mother affectionately given him in his childhood. They'd been known as the caped crusaders together every since.

"Mr. Grayson, are you paying attention or daydreaming again?" a sharp tone cut through his thoughts. Luckily, years of schooling his expressions as a crime fighter allowed his calm gray eyes to meet her narrowed brown ones without betraying his guilt at being caught. Instead he rose his brow at her as if to question her sanity, knowing that she would not pick a fight with him in class when he'd already caused them to be slightly behind on their notes. Her lips pursed into a thin line before one side curved up in a slightly triumphant way. "See me after class, Grayson," she said promptly before returning her attention to the task at hand.

Dick allowed a groan to escape his lips as he rolled his eyes, now ignoring the giggles of his fellow students. Though he was pretty popular, everyone seemed to find it oh-so-entertaining when _Mr. Perfect_ (as they'd dubbed him) got into trouble. He picked up his pencil and was about to actually write something in his notebook when something hit him against the side of his head, causing him to jump a little. Hoping it hadn't messed with his hair, he sneakily picked up the neatly folded paper and undid it in the safety of his notebook.

'_Another long night last night?' _Was written in the familiar tiny scrawl of his best friend, Victor Stone. Victor was an African American teen who preferred to keep his head smoothly shaved and his muscles big and bulky. It was obvious that the young man was quite the athlete just by looking at him. But what most didn't know was that he was more than just some buff jock. He was actually extremely intelligent when it came to anything having to do with electronics. His parents were actually dedicated scientists that often had to travel around the country to moderate new finds in technology and better them. Vic himself had actually designed many prototypes to different programs and even some forms of weapons on his own. His most promising prototype was his idea of making completely functioning prosthetics that could actually transform into different tools the user would need. He was also the only person outside of the Wayne mansion that knew about Dick's nightlife as he'd helped Dick many times from behind the scenes with Alfred while Bruce had been gone on business trips. He'd even given Bruce some ideas for some new gadgets.

_'That obvious, huh? Yeah, some new group has been ransacking record offices but we haven't figured out what they're after yet,'_ he jotted down hurriedly before tossing it back at him. Yes, in this type of situation texting probably would have been a more effective means of communication, but they liked to live life on the dangerous side of things. Besides, they'd rather have a piece of paper taken away than their cell phones and they happened to know that this particular teacher enjoyed tearing notes in half rather than reading them out loud.

_'I thought you said you thought it was J?' _

_'Nope, not his style. I'll tell you more about it at lunch,'_ he wrote, tossing it back one final time. Anytime they would talk about a crook or anything else identity-wise, they only wrote the first initial so it wouldn't be easy to tell what they were talking about if the note was intercepted. By '_J,'_ they had been referring to the criminal mastermind known as the Joker. Bruce had originally thought he'd been responsible for the break-ins since he had always been keen on hiring stealthy hands to do his dirty work but last night they began to realize that this was a totally different style than they'd encountered entirely. Even the masks these men wore bore no resemblance to the regulars that Robin knew lurked around this city. The only question in his mind was what they could possibly be after.

Finally after what seemed like hours of Mrs. Fryers voice and the restless movements of his fellow students, the bell rang. "Now class, before you go, I suggest you write down the dates of your exams so you can study. Chapters 7 through 8 next time!" she chimed after them before turning like a hawk to its prey as she watched Dick grab his things and try to make his escape. "Mr. Grayson, don't forget to see me before you run off," she said with a light smirk as he grudgingly approached her. When he was standing in front of her, her look melted into a worried smile, "Are you getting plenty of sleep, Richard?" she asked him as she studied his tired face, "Whatever you're doing at nights, needs to stop. It's not healthy to come in here like a zombie practically every morning," she said in a calm voice.

"It's nothing, Mrs. Fryer. I've just got a lot on my mind between homework and practice," he told her, trying to turn on his famous Grayson charm. For a super hero, he was a pretty good liar. Yes, he was on the tennis team (which secretly helped him perfect his already extraordinary aiming skills), but that in no way effected his ability to complete his homework or his short attention span when it came to lessons. But normally, this little song and dance not only got him out of detention, but it made her feel sorry for him because of his family predicament.

"Well, in that case, I suggest you take it easy for a while. I'll talk to coach Carr about suspending you-" he was about to disrupt her with a look of outrage on his face, before she held her hand up to silence him as she continued, "from tennis for a month. I don't want to do it, but you've got to start thinking about your health, Richard. Your tardiness and constant tiredness is disrupting my class," she said with finality as her concerned look turned into a stony resolution.

He could feel his head warm, quick to anger about the audacity of this, but held his tongue. He knew his teacher was only trying to help him out and also that Bruce wouldn't back him up on this one. He'd thought the idea of joining the team was dumb from the start considering they had all the training equipment needed downstairs in the bat cave. But Dick had insisted, saying he wanted to keep things fresh by participating in something at school. "Fine," he muttered in annoyance as he mentally tapped his foot.

"Hn," she paused, looking uncertain a moment before shaking her head at his attitude, "You may go, Grayson. See you after school." Then she waved him out of her room as her next class began to fill in.

Vic was leaning against a locker waiting for him when Dick walked out of the classroom. "Hey, man. So, what'd she do this time?" he asked as he stood from his slouched position and began to walk side by side with his buddy, making many of the girls in the hall stop and stare at them longingly.

"She suspended me from tennis," he said in a short, clipped voice that warned his friend that it hadn't been the best start to his day so far, "_and_ I still have to do detention after school."

"Ah, so your smooth talking didn't go quite according to plan today, huh Bird Boy?" Vic teased him a bit as they turned a hall and started to walk downstairs to the main hall.

"Shut it, Cy," he replied, cracking a little bit of a smile before punching his friend in the arm, "and don't call me Bird Boy." Cy was the nickname he'd given Vic because of how amazing he was with electronics. At first the nickname had annoyed Vic, but eventually it stuck.

"So you're done pouting already then?" Vic said, continuing his assault on what he knew was a very big ego. Not disappointed, Dick fired back with a few insults of his own as the two bickered back an fourth all in good fun. It eventually ended when they allowed it to get slightly out of hand and Vic grabbed Dick before he had a chance to react, getting him in a headlock where he proceeded to give him a noogie that messed up the Boy Wonder's perfect hair. "Take that, Bird's Nest!" Vic cracked as he released him, then slipped safely into his next classroom leaving his very disgruntled friend in the hall trying to fix his now messy black hair with no success in sight.

Detention after school had been rather uneventful. Only he, and another girl in his grade named Rachel Roth had attended it. While he'd sat down and merely stared into space as Mrs. Fryer occupied herself with a crossword puzzle, the pale girl beside him had done nothing but read a book that he was sure was almost as old as some of the old tombs that Bruce insisted on keeping in their library at the mansion. When he'd tried to ask her why she was there (in a whisper, of course), she'd ignored him at first before giving him dry reply of, "broken windows," without looking up from the worn pages of text. She neither had elaborated, nor had he questioned her further. Instead they had just sat in silence. Robin had been more than pleased to be dismissed from the silence of the classroom; he felt like he could breathe normally again without disturbance.

That night, Dick found himself in full costume with the wind whipping through his black hair as he sped down the streets of Gotham on his R-Cycle. There was a determined look on his face as his eyes scanned around the area for any clues of disturbances near by. Back at the mansion, their security system that they had installed throughout the city (with the help of Vic) had picked up some suspicious activity in two different places. One was Gotham city hospital and the other surprisingly was an orphanage on the other side of the city. Even though the Bat-Signal had yet to shine in the skies to call on them, Bruce had suggested that they each patrol the areas and check out what was going on. Dick couldn't have agreed more.

_ 'First the records offices and now a hospital and an orphanage? Who are these people looking for?'_ he wondered to himself for he was quite sure that it was the same group. He had yet to encounter another criminal around here with the same M.O. He knew they had to be looking for a person though, how could they not be? Even if he hadn't been the detective he was, he didn't think it could've been more obvious. In fact, he'd even researched the records that were tampered with to see if any big-shot names pulled up. But unfortunately he'd come up empty. Though the place had been broken into and the buildings' alarms had gone off, _nothing_ had actually seemed to be tampered with. What were they missing?

Up ahead he could see the orphanage coming to view so he veered off into a dark alley, slowing down to a halt as he hopped off of his ride and hit a button on his belt that caused it to rumble a moment before an armored covering unfolded over it could note be stolen or damaged as he did his task. Then he tapped the wrist of his glove and spoke into to it where he knew the communication device was stored. In his ear was a small earbud-like mechanism that allowed him to hear not only Batman, but also Alfred or Vic depending on who was helping him. They usually used their communicators if they were either split up or in need of help.

"I'm just a few blocks away from the orphanage," he said before he started to stealthily climb up a ladder of one of the buildings in the abandoned alley. When he reached the top, he did a flip to land on his feet before he began to run at an impressive speed to the other side. As he did, he removed a special staff that he kept concealed under his cape and used it to pole-vault to the next building as he landed in graceful silence and continued on toward his target. Do to his intense training under Bruce's careful eye, he'd learned to hone his body at absolute skill so that he could outperform any human and he could hold his own pretty well against the non-humans too. With that said, building hopping seemed to be a trivial matter to him.

"Good. I'm already at the hospital. Keep your eyes peeled - No sign of them yet," came Bruce's deep reply over the com-system. Robin gave a grunt in reply, his eyes narrowing beneath his mask as he made sure to pay close attention to his surroundings. Then, when he was about two rooftops away, he saw a shadow and quickly ducked down and his himself in the dark shadows of the building's far ledge. He cocked his head a little and watched in silence as two men were using suction cups to climb up the windows of the orphanage. One of the men was using a special kind of torch to melt a hole into the large glass windows so that they could enter.

"I see them," he whispered breathlessly into the mic. "They're using suction cups to cli-!" a small gasp of surprise left his lips as he was suddenly attacked from seemingly out of nowhere. He grunted as he felt a hard boot connect with his face causing him to fly backwards. Using his quick reflexes, he immediately did a back flip and used his feet to skid backwards a bit to regain some control before he darted forward at the man who'd attacked him from the shadows. In his fast approach, he ducked down and knocked the man's feet from under him before jumping out of the way as a second and third fighter joined their ranks. He was impressed to note that all of them seemed to be trained in some form of jutsu, but as a master of the art himself he was able to keep up with their moves long enough to block and study them as he did so.

He kept in constant motion as they attacked from all sides, not allowing them to get an opening. Finally, when they all seemed to launch themselves forward at the same time, he jumped up for a round house kick. "Aaaaagh!" he shouted as he put a bit of extra oomph into the kick sending them all flying back in separate directions. Then he lowered himself into a defensive position as they began to rouse themselves into standing again. As he did, he took out his staff again, smirking as he saw one of the other men had one as well. Then he extended his arm to them and cockily motioned for them to come at him with all they had.

When the first guy came at him, he nearly laughed at just how sloppy the assault was. As soon as the guy got close enough to him, he moved his staff in front of him and spun it fast, causing the guy to run right into it. All he had to do was push forward and it reversed all of the force from this foolish ninja's attack right back at him and then some. Then he quickly used the metal pole to jump up higher as the other two ran into each other thinking they had been sneaky by trying to jump at him at the same time. After coming to, the guy with the staff noticed he'd accidentally knocked out one of his partners and growled before coming at Robin again.

"You know the problem with you bad guys?" Robin said as he moved his own to block every swing the guy swung at him. Then when the guy went to swing again, he took advantage of the opening and hit the guy with the point of his own right in the gut causing him to lose his breath as he slammed hard into the air conditioner unit that was on top of the building. Robin just smirked again as he stood tall and rested his staff against his shoulder. "You just never learn from your mistakes," he said with finality. Then he moved a little closer to see that all of the ninjas who'd attacked him were wearing the same half black and half bronze colored masks to protect their identities. _'Hm, strange… Who could they be working for?'_ he wondered to himself as he began to tie him up.

He paused however when he saw something moving out the corner of his masked eyes and he immediately turned toward it. At first he saw nothing, but he could certainly_ hear_ something. And then he saw it as it crawled from the darkness. It looked like a spider of some sort, only it was metal and had four legs instead of eight. There was also a little red light blinking from it as if giving off some kind of signal to whomever was controlling it. Robin observed it a moment before he detached a bird-o-rang from his belt and tossed it with a flick of his wrist at the strange thing. As soon as his weapon hit it, a small explosion erupted from it, nearly causing him to fall over.

"What the!" he shouted as another one of the metal creatures attacked him before he could recover as it attached to his back and pierced into his skin. He struggled, now knowing that if these things were hit just the wrong way that they would explode. But judging by the beeping sound emitting from it, it planned to do just that anyway. He wasn't a fool, he knew very well that explosions at this close of a range could be deadly. He had to stay calm and act fast. Using his staff again, this time he wedged it between he and the offending object and braced himself as he pushed at it with all of his might to pry it off of him. He yelled out in pain as its sharp arms sliced at his skin leaving deep gashes and the smell of iron in his wake before it finally was forced to free him and was flung through the air, exploding a moment later. He gasped for air and gripped his sides as he looked around carefully, not wanting to let his guard down again.

"Surely you didn't think we'd make things that easy, you scuzbucket snot muncher!" came a tiny yet raspy voice behind him as he turned around to see the smiling face of a very small bald man that could have easily been mistaken for a child (even though Robin had a feeling that the kid was more or less around his age) standing on top of the next building over. The pint sized villain was clad in a green jumpsuit with goggles and was using machinery with similar features to hoist himself in the air to make him appear taller. There was a cold sneer on his face as he allowed himself to appreciate what his inventions had accomplished that the others had not. Then he whipped his head to the side with a snort, "Are you sure this bird boy's up for the task, Slade? He looks like too much of a goody- loser to me."

That was when Robin noticed that there was another figure in the shadows. Upon being addressed, the man stepped into the light revealing that he, like his men, was wearing a half black, half bronze mask. But something told Robin that he'd be foolish to underestimate this man. This man seemed to be much stronger than all of the men he'd faced so far and he wouldn't doubt that he was the leader of this heist either. The man stood with tall confidence as if nothing could get passed him and an air of strong arrogance seemed to glitter in his cold eye.

"I didn't hire you to think, Gizmo," he said cooly in a calm, yet dark voice. "Everything will go according to plan." His voice contained so little doubt that he didn't know what to think. What had Gizmo meant by asking if he was up for a task? Robin would be damned if he'd allow some criminal to use him just because he could. But his thoughts were interrupted by an explosion that had occurred down the street and Robin watched as the two men shifted their focus in that direction. "Ah, it seems that Mammoth has given the bat a run for his money. Right on time too, if I might add," he said, sounding pleased.

As if on cue, Robin saw the smoking outline of Bat as he'd appeared from the smoke only to get slammed to the ground by what looked like a light pole. Robin twitched, very much wanting to help his partner, but knowing that in doing so, not only would Bruce be angry that he'd shown weakness, but also that he'd let two other criminals go. So instead he stayed put, but made sure to keep his guard up as he waited to see what would happen. That's when he saw the one he assumed was "Mammoth." The man looked as if he was part human and part beast just by the sheer size of him. It was no wonder Bruce was having issues with him.

They all watched as Mammoth used his inhuman strength to dig his claws into a building and climb up. Not far behind him, Batman was starting to stir before he stood and then launched on of his wires up the building, racing the beast to the top. Robin watched in awe as the entire way to them the two men fought. Sometimes Batman would get in a good shot and sometimes Mammoth. Either way, they finally both made it to them as Mammoth jumped onto the rooftop that Slade and Gizmo stood on top of and Batman took his place next to Robin as they looked up at them preparing for anything. Still, the other two did not strike.

"Well done," Slade said in such a way that Robin had a feeling that the man was smiling under that mask of his. That's when robin saw the parcel that mammoth had attached to his yellow costume. The giant man undid it and handed Slade an envelope of documents he'd stolen from the hospital. "Yes, yes. Very good indeed," he said with dark glee before looking out toward the orphanage again with the documents still in his hands.

"Who are you and what are you after?" Robin shouted at them in a demanding voice, ignoring Bruce's silent-study rule. He could tell by the glare the other was giving him that they were going to have a serious talk about protocol later. At the sound of his voice, Slade seemed to knocked out of his trance and as if remembering that he had guests he looked down upon the caped crusaders once more.

"Ah, yes. Ignoring Gotham's finest - how rude of me," he said in thoughtful sarcasm as he watched them closely. "You've been lured here for a reason, of course," he said, sounding superior. "Because you two are going to lead me to what I want."

"We don't work for criminals," Batman informed him with a frown before Robin could interject with anymore of his hotheaded remarks. "So, if that's what you came here for, sorry to disappoint you."

"Ah, but you're not disappointing me at all. On the contrary, actually," Slade said as he placed the documents back into the parcel and put them around his own shoulder this time. "I've been watching you two for some time now. Tonight was only a test. Your detective skills are most admirable and I happen to know that both of you want nothing more to protect this city," he said, his voice mocking and evil.

"What do you want? We won't play your games," Batman said in a cold voice as he waited for an explanation.

"I'm sure you've heard of the Raven?" Slade said offhandedly as if they were making simple conversation. "I know the Justice League has been waiting for it for years. It's here, Batman. I'm sure you know what that means." Slade paused as if to let the information sink in and Robin got the feeling that this knowledge should make them extremely weary. Unfortunately, Robin had no idea what he was going on about but he could tell that by the way Batman had tensed, this knowledge couldn't be any good at all. "Now you see what I mean. It's a rat-race to the finish. But no matter who tracks down the Raven, I assure you it will be mine in the end," he said with an evil laugh. "Trigon's powers will be _mine._"

"Don't be delusional, you're just chasing after myths!" Batman said, though Robin wasn't sure he sounded too convinced. That was a thought that was worrying all on its own.

"Oh? But how can you be so sure?" Slade responded in amusement. Then he looked at Gizmo and Mammoth and gave them a nod as they backed into the darkness. "Until next time, gentlemen. I have bigger birds to fry." Then there was an explosion of smoke as they all vanished at once.

Robin turned to face Bruce, whose lips were drawn into a grim line. "Lets go," was all he said as he turned to leave the rooftop, giving no explanation to what had just happened. As if sensing the youth's confusion, he paused and added, "I must consult with the others about this before I explain the details to you. Things are about to get very tense. I hope you're up for it." Then he hopped down from the building presumably to retrieve his car.

Robin frowned and stood there as he rubbed his bleeding sides some. He hadn't realized how good that little robot had gotten him. It pissed him off to no end that after all they'd went through tonight, Bruce had not only said nothing to him, but had actually warned him as if he'd thought he wasn't capable enough for the task. As he'd finally made his leave and started up his motorbike he'd left in the alley, one question burned on his mind the most - _What is the Raven?_

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><p><em>AN: I'm only gonna' say thins once - Booya, chapter one! So this is my first fanfic that isn't either DBZ or Harry Potter related and so far I can predict that it's gonna' be pretty long and there will probably be multiple parts to it. So, lemme know what you think about the new turn! ^ ^_


	2. Chapter 2

**Teen Titans : Gotham City **

**By: KKM**

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><p><em><strong>Previously:<strong>_

_ Robin turned to face Bruce, whose lips were drawn into a grim line. "Lets go," was all he said as he turned to leave the rooftop, giving no explanation to what had just happened. As if sensing the youth's confusion, he paused and added, "I must consult with the others about this before I explain the details to you. Things are about to get very tense. I hope you're up for it." Then he hopped down from the building presumably to retrieve his car._

_ Robin frowned and stood there as he rubbed his bleeding sides some. He hadn't realized how good that little robot had gotten him. It pissed him off to no end that after all they'd went through tonight, Bruce had not only said nothing to him, but had actually warned him as if he'd thought he wasn't capable enough for the task. As he'd finally made his leave and started up his motorbike he'd left in the alley, one question burned on his mind the most - _What is the Raven?

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><p><em><strong>Part One: Two Birds of a Feather<strong>_

_**Chapter 2: **_

"You're going to have to hold still, Master Dick," Alfred's normally wise tone suggested as Richard gave a groan of pain. He was up early for once - but not by choice. He'd been right the night before when he'd thought those little bots had gotten him good. Though they hadn't damaged anything internal on him, the angle of their slices against his flesh had made it difficult for Alfred to get the bleeding to stop. At the moment, Alfred was taking off the drenched gauze from last night and redressing it with fresh clean ones and new ointment. "Perhaps you should stay home and rest today. We don't need these getting infected."

"No," Dick said, shaking his head as he glared at an innocent painting that was hanging nearby on a wall. "I'll go to school, I'm fine really. It's just that - Nhn!" he hissed as Alfred jerked a little harder than necessary when tightening the bandages around his waist. When he peered down at the other man, he found himself locked into a stern gaze and sighed. "I know, I know," he muttered, but continued to rebel against the idea. "But have to go. This is nothing… I'll just make sure that I don't out do myself today," he said with a light chuckle.

Alfred merely rolled his eyes as he stood, then tilted his head at the young man. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Master Bruce, would it?" he asked casually as he began to clean up his medical supplies; his accent thick in the air. At the words, Richard's stance deflated slightly. He hated how easily the butler could read him. It made him feel like an open book.

"He hinted last night that he doesn't think I can handle whatever challenge this Slade guy gave us last night," he confided as he tried to stand straight again, this time succeeding in not wincing. "I'm not a child anymore. I can handle anything anyone puts in front of me," he said pridefully before glancing at Alfred who know had a bushy, gray eyebrow raised at him. "Okay, well _mostly_ everything," he sighed, "I just wish that Bruce could see that." He paused a moment before adding what was really bothering him, "I wish he could see me as his equal."

Alfred placed the last of his things back into his medical pack before turning to face Richard fully. "I know you don't think he does, but in truth I believe that Master Bruce sees a younger version of himself in you," he told him, "It's not that he doesn't trust that you're capable, it's that he sees to much of himself in your actions. He doesn't want you to loose yourself in this destiny like he feels he already has," he said, before becoming quiet again. "You're like a son to him."

"And he's like a father to me. But sometimes I don't want him to see me as just that," he replied, his blue eyes pensive. "Someday I just want him to look at me with pride, knowing that he doesn't have to worry because I'm my own man and I can take ownership without drowning behind my mask."

"Perhaps he already has. He's just not ready to accept it yet," Alfred suggested wisely before he turned to leave the room. "It's something to think about, young man," he said before disappearing through the door. Dick stood there a moment as he listened to the older man's steps grow farther away until they were unhearable against the marble floors of the manor. Then he sighed and raked his hand through his ebony hair. Making his decision, he turned toward his closet to ready himself for the day.

Maybe Alfred was right and maybe he was wrong. Either way, Dick was going to prove that he wasn't weak to Bruce even if it killed him. For now, just imagining the shocked look on his teacher's face when he'd arrive on time for once was good enough for him.

It wasn't often that Bruce found himself donned in full costume at this time of the day, but today seemed to be the exception. As soon as returned to the manor, he'd called a meeting for the following morning so that he could inform the Justice League of everything that was going on. He himself didn't know very much about the prophecy that revolved around the Raven, but he'd heard rumors of it and knew that the others could give him information. The only problem was that he could foresee things turning… political. He much preferred to do things his way than what the majority believed was right.

He stood at the back of the room facing the table where they always held their honorary meetings with his hands behind his back and grim-faced. One by one they all filed in, giving him nods of greeting as they took their places around the table. Punctual as always, Wonder Woman was first. After her came Aquaman and Green Lantern, closely followed by Flash (Who nearly ran them over as he ran to his seat anxiously). Then Hawkman and Hawkgirl joined them along with Martian Manhunter and Steel. Last, but certainly not least, Superman entered the room looking slightly hassled. He'd apparently had a busy morning.

"Sorry I'm late. There was an emergency," he said, giving no further explanation as he took his seat at the head of the table. Then he turned his attention to Batman, looking curious. "So, what seems to be the problem?" he asked, using a business tone. He, like the rest of them, knew that whatever this was about it had to be important. Batman _never_ initiated meetings. In fact, sometimes he even went so far as to ignore them unless they had something to do with himself or the safety of his city. Yet, in the Justice League's time of need he'd always fulfilled his duties as a member so they respected him greatly though most still found him mysterious. He even made Superman curious at times.

Batman was silent a moment as he observed his teammates and contemplated on how to start. By the time his sight had ghosted the entire table, everyone's eyes had focused on him and he opened his mouth to speak. "I called this meeting because I think it's important that everyone is aware of what happened last night so that we can all be better prepared if worst comes to worst," he started out, pausing only a moment before adding, "and I was hoping that some of you might have some information in return for me."

Several pairs of eyes furrowed in concentration at the direct start, but he had their undivided attention nonetheless as he began his story. "Lately, my partner and I have been investigating some peculiar break-ins to various records offices. It was strange because nothing had actually been stolen on any of the occasions nor had anyone been hurt. At first we'd thought that perhaps they were after some important politician or company holder, but none of their files had been messed with. These people were after someone else. Last night we were finally able to make contact with them."

He reached into his cape and took out a manila folder and placed it on the table before opening it and placing three pictures onto the table for them all to see. "These three seem to be the main threat besides their henchmen. This first one is called Mammoth," he introduced as he pointed to the young man who looked somewhere between human and a hairy beast. "The next one calls himself Gizmo. He's the one who attacked my partner," he said pointing to the next picture which was of the bald midget with goggles on his head and a sneer. "And this last one is the leader. He calls himself Slade," he informed them, not bothering to point to the picture this time. In the picture, his one visible eye seemed to be gazing with the confidence of a crazed, powerful man.

Superman was the first to respond as he pointed to the two younger men's pictures. "I know these two. They've attacked my city before. They're from an organization called the Hive. From what I can tell, the Hive hires its members out to the highest bidder. These two are their best men." He studied the pictures a moment before adding, "Mammoth is known for his sheer strength and Gizmo is a technical genius. He specializes in making electronic gadgets that can do pretty much anything he sets his mind to. I don't know anything about Slade though."

Batman nodded in thanks for the offered information before eyeing the rest of the table. One by one, the rest of them either shook their heads or shrugged unable to give any insight on who Slade was or where he'd come from. Finally, Wonder Woman spoke up voicing the question that had been on everyone's minds. "While I understand that you wanted information on these guys, why did you deem it so important to have a meeting with us about it?" she asked in a curious tone, "It's very unlike you."

In response, the Dark Knight's lip curved up a bit in what can only be described as the ghost of a smile. "I called you here because this could end up effecting all of you eventually," he told them. "When Slade made himself known, he called out a challenge to us - a race of sorts. He told us that the Raven is in Gothem. I think it's why he's been targeting our places of records. Something has caught his interest and made him think it's there. We all know what that could mean which is why I need as much information as I can get. I can't let Slade reach his goal."

Nervous looks were exchanged around the table as the processed what exactly he was telling them. They were all vaguely aware of a prophecy that involved using the Raven as a portal that would unleash a demon king with strength far beyond anything they'd ever encountered, but most of them over the years had always thought it was just a story. They'd never dreamed that it was actually real despite the warnings.

"Looks like you'll need my help after all," said a quiet, yet strong voice from the doorway. All of their heads turned toward the voice as a man in an old fashioned traveling cloak entered the room. He had a supernatural vibe about him even in the lightened room as his steps were silent and well calculated. He also had the appearance of someone who was possibly a shady individual since his hat tilted down in such a way that his face couldn't be seen.

"Phantom, how nice of you to join us," Superman greeted, though surprised the other had decided to show up. Though he'd been offered membership in the past, the Phantom Stranger had neither declined nor accepted to be an official part of the Justice League. Instead, he just seemed to make his presence known when the time came that he was needed. He was no doubt the most mysterious out of all the members as no one had any idea who he was or even how old he was. His face, which was always carefully shadowed had also never been seen no matter what the lighting. Nothing was ever more revealed about him than needed to be.

"I know of the prophecy you seek," he said, coming to a halt not surprisingly at the darkest corner of the room as he gazed at Gothem's hero, completely ignoring the greeting as well as the rest of the group for the moment. It was at least a shared knowledge through them all that the Phantom Stranger knew things in the ways of supernatural occurrences that they did not. "The Raven is said to be the daughter of Trigon. It is said that after rebirth, she will someday become the portal that will release him from the confines of hell and into our dimension causing Armageddon." he informed them smoothly, his voice never betraying whatever emotions were running through his head. It was almost as if he was reciting an article from the newspaper. "She'll also be very skilled in the ways of the supernatural because of her birthright."

"Well, if this girl really exists, we can't just stand by and let her cause the end of the world!" Steel said, speaking for the first time. "There must be a way to find her and destroy her before this Slade guy gets to her," he said with finality.

"And how do you know that she'd be doing this on her own free will?" Wonder Woman countered, looking angry that the other hero had suggested such a rash plan without considering his options.

"Do you really think it's wise to let her live even if she is being forced? She'll be the cause of the apocalypse and it's our job to protect the people!"

"Well, who is going to protect her?" she asked, raising her voice as she grew more irritated at the other. "If she has been reborn, she's probably still a child. Do you want that on your conscience? Is a child not good enough to be protected or considered as one of the people you so admirably claim to want to protect!"

"Now, guys-" Flash tried to intervene, raising his hands up as a means to try and get them to calm down, but instead he was interrupted by a furious Steel who was red in the face by now.

"So, you'd rather put everyone on Earth's lives at risk to save some girl that might not even want to be saved nor do we know if it's even possible to do so!" he shouted back at her, "Well, forgive me Diana if I don't exactly see eye to eye with you," he snorted, crossing his arms.

"STOP IT! _ALL_ OF YOU!" Batman's voice rang throughout the room, effectively causing whatever insult was about to roll off of Wonder Woman's tongue to die instantly. "We are grown adults, not bickering children. I know teenagers that can carry on more mature conversations than this." His voice was calmer now, but still equally as scolding which caused the two heroes at fault to turn red with humiliation and silence themselves.

At this, Superman finally stood up and they all looked at him for his leadership. Those who had remained silent the whole time these exchanges had been taking place looked thoughtful, while the others (besides Batman who was now as collected as ever) still looked slightly disgruntled as they waited for him to speak. After he was sure that they were all paying attention to him, he gave his standpoint on the issue. "We all know that this is a very sensitive matter and as the Heroes of the Earth it is up to us to lead by example and do what's right for the greater of the good. The truth is that we don't know anything about this girl. She may be as Diana said - a young girl who's facing a destiny she never wanted. But she could also be anticipating her father's awakening in this dimension."

He turned to face Batman as he spoke again, "I know you're against killing unless the assailant somehow chooses death himself, but we have to be realistic here. First priority is of course to find Raven first without leading Slade to her. If she's on our side, then offer protection. If she isn't and she in fact _wants_ to be the portal, then you know what to do," he said seriously. "And if Slade somehow manages to get the girl… I'm sorry Diana, but I have to agree with Hank here, she'll need to be destroyed. We can't let Trigon take over, especially since we don't know what we're up against."

"You wouldn't have a chance even if you all were to team together," Phantom said solemnly. Then he decided to grace them with more of his knowledge, "It is my belief though that Raven knows exactly what she is and what she's meant to do. She will have been trained to control her powers from her life on Azarath before she came to be reborn here. But I also predict that she, like all of you realize the danger of her future. I believe that if she hasn't already sided with her fear, she can be talked into getting help."

"That is, _if_ she even wants it," Steel muttered, still annoyed that he'd been scolded but not bothering to argue anymore.

"I'll talk to Robin and see to it that our best judgment is used on this delicate matter," Batman told him, thankful that Superman understood his position so well. "I will keep in touch," he promised before he turned to walk out of the room, but Superman's voice stopped him for a moment.

"This is going to be a dangerous task so we'll send someone to help you guys out soon," he said, and before Batman could argue he added, "It's for the best. You'll need all the help you can get." Batman only nodded at him before walking out of the room in silence, glad to be away from all of their overbearing personalities again.

It wasn't long before he boarded his batplane and was on his way back to Gothem.

Meanwhile, Richard was still at school. As predicted, Mrs. Fryer had almost fainted when she'd seen him sitting innocently at his desk as if being on time was a normal occurrence for him. She'd even given him slightly suspicious looks all throughout class to which he'd just given her polite smiles and amused smirks in response. After class, Vic had laughed his butt off and slapped him on the back for giving him the most entertaining lesson he'd had all year.

Later on at lunch, he and Victor had snuck off to the far corner of the school grounds where there was a small court yard so that they could eat lunch in peace and talk about the previous nights events. Vic hadn't been at the manor last night when he and Batman had gone on patrol, so he made sure to share everything he knew so far from the henchmen with masks to the trio of baddies that had shown their identities to them. As he went on with his story, Vic nodded, occasionally asking questions when needed including how Richard's pride was feeling after getting bested by a pint-sized midget and his toys (Richard had been particularly displeased about this question as he chucked an apple at Vic's head as an answer).

By the time lunch was over, the two had left the courtyard and were back inside the school halls as Richard was sharing with Vic what he had with Alfred this morning. "I mean, I just can't think of anything more annoying," he complained after his 'I'm my own man and should be treated as such' speech.

"Well _I_ can," Vic said with a smug smirk, catching Dick's attention easily. "Let's see, he's about four feet tall, wears cheap hair gel, and looks gay in tigh-" he was cut off when Dick suddenly rounded on him trying to land a cheap shot.

"Hey! I had a growth spurt and tights _do not_ make me look gay!" he said with narrow eyes as they began to wrestle in the hall, though still being careful so as not to make Richard's sides hurt anymore than they already did.

"Whatever you say, small-fry. I'm still way taller than you," Vic teased, "And more muscular!" To prove his point, he flexed causing a few girls that were near by to swoon and sigh. Dick crossed his arms, pride hurt a little as he feigned annoyance (though he was getting as much attention as Vic considering that he was a handsome young millionaire). "Well, hey man," Vic said, causing Dick to stop fooling around. "I've got History in a few minutes so I'll catch you later," he told him, raising his hand for a fist bump.

"Okay, see ya," he said, returning the favor as their fists collided in a friendly manor. "I've got chem next anyway," he said with a shrug before they parted ways. The halls were beginning to empty as he casually made his way downstairs to his class. He knew he was going to be late anyway so he figured he'd go in a calm matter rather than causing more interruptions like he would if he'd started to sprint down the hall and arrive out of breath. That just wasn't his style.

Just ahead he could see his class at the end of the hall, but shouting caught his attention and he stopped in his tracks to listen. The sounds were coming from behind him somewhere in another hallway. Somehow he doubted that all the shouting was due to a pep rally or anything joyful for that matter. In fact, the multiple voices he could hear as he turned around to investigate seemed to be shrill and angry. Chemistry would have to wait; the Boy Wonder never looked back as he left to investigate.

A/N: Not a very actiony chapter, but important nonetheless. This chapter was actually going to be much longer, but I decided to split it into two chapters instead so that it would be closer to the length of the previous chapter (and so I could post it faster! ;)). Raven and Beast Boy in the next chapter, so stick around!


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